Convertible package



Jan. 28, 1964 1.. s. ROSENSTIEL 3,119,494

CONVERTIBLE PACKAGE Filed Nov. 15, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR law/s Fosavs-r/a ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 28, 1964 Filed Nov. 15, 196i ATTORNEYS ml 7 m l R a 0: 5%; v. mm 0., Z W. W. W a 5 a E )M g 6 1 United States Patent "ice 3,119,494 CONVERTiBLE PACKAGE Lewis S. Rosenstiei, Greenwich, Conn, assignor to Schenley Industries, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 15, 1% Ser. No. 152,453 3 Claims. (1. 2l)646) This invention relates generally to convertible packages, and, more particularly, to a convertible package of an individual champagne bottle, or the like, which may be facilely converted into an ice-bucket for chilling the individual champagne bottle, or the like, contained in the package.

One object of the present invention is the provision of an improved package of an individual champagne bottle, or the like, which may be readily manipulated into an ice-bucket disposition to chill the bottle contained in the package. Pursuant to this object of the present invention, the package comprises a small container component for the individual bottle which serves to enclose and package such bottle and at the point of use such container component may be converted to ice-bucket disposition for packing the bottle in ice, or other coolant, for chilling purposes, thereby avoiding the need for removing the bottle from the package and placement into a conventional ice-bucket for chilling.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a container component for packaging an individual champagne bottle, or the like, which may be extended into an ice-bucket disposition so that ice may be packed therein surrounding the bottle.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a novel container component for a package of an individual champagne bottle, or the like, which may be easily and efficiently manipulated into an ice-bucket for such individual bottle, or the like, at the point of use by the simple expedient of opening the container component.

Yet another object of the present invention is the pro-' vision of a generally improved package of an individual bottle of a beverage normally consumed chilled which includes a container component which may be economically mass produced, from a preferably one-piece flat blank and which is simple in basic design and construction, and dis penses with the need of a conventional ice-bucket for chilling the beverage.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the package including a container component in packaging disposition and a champagne bottle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the package with the container component in ice-bucket disposition;

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of the container component in ice-bucket disposition illustrating details of construction and assembly;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the container component in packaging disposition prior to receiving a champagne bottle; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a flat blank for forming the container component.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1, a package 39 comprising a container component 32 in packaging disposition and a bottle B packaged therein, the bottle illustrated being a champagne bottle although it will be understood that any suitable bottle may be so packaged in which the contents are adapted to be consumed in chilled condition. On removal of the retaining band 34-, the container 32 will open or expand into ice- V 3,119,4s4 Patented Jan. 28, 1964 bucket disposition 32', as shown in FIG. 2, in which the bottle B may be packed in, and surrounded by, ice 3:: for chilling the contents of the bottle. The manner of forming the container 32 will now be described with reference to FIG. 5. The container 32 is preferably fabricated from a single flat blank 38 suitable scored and shaped to permit ready conversion from a packaging disposition (FIG. 1) to an ice-bucket disposition (FIG. 2). More particularly, the container blank 38 comprises a center panel 11 of square configuration with beveled corners ill and four rectangular radially extending panels 12 having extension tabs 13. The rectangular panels 12 are joined to the center panel 11 along adjacent score lines 14 and to adjacent extension tabs 13 alongthe score lines 15.

The panels 12 at adjacent longitudinal edges are joined together by gussets generally indicated at 16 (see FIG. 5). More particularly, each gusset 16 is composed of six connecting generally triangular panels 17 and 17' which are defined by score lines 13 and 18. Score lines 18' define the boundaries between panels 12 and their adjacent panels 17. The score lines it) at the beveled corners of panel 11 define the inner edges of the triangular panels. In general, the above-described score lines are impressed upon a single sheet blank 38 to form fold lines which permit the blank to be manipulated into containerdefining disposition. The blank 38 may be formed of any suitable waterproof material having requisite stiffness, such as waterproof cardboard, or the like.

To form the blank into container-defining disposition, the triangular panels 17 (two on each side of each panel 12 adjacent thereto) are folded inwardly into overlying relation with each other and the panels 12 along the fold lines 18 and 18' (see FIG. 3). The extension tabs 13 are folded over the panels 12 and the folded over panels 17 at the inner faces of panels 12 along the score lines 15. As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the overlying panels are pierced as indicated at 19 to form aligned apertures through the panels to receive suitable fasteners, such as rivets 20, which serve to retain the panels in such disposition.

The side walls of the container, in its closed or packagedefining disposition, are thus formed by the panels 12 and their overlying panels 17, the bottom of such package being formed by panel ll.

Each pair of triangular panels 17 of each gusset between each pair of panels 12 is folded inwardly along the score lines 18 to complete the container formation in its package-defining disposition (FIG. 4). The now overlying triangular panels 17 extending diagonally into the center of the container are manually folded to facing relation with their companion sidewall panels to condition the container to receive a champagne bottle 13, or the like (see FIG. 1). Securement means, constituted by a band 34 in the illustrated embodiment, releasably retains the container in its package-defining disposition. It will be noted that the now formed container is of a size and configuration to accommodate bottle B, said container being generally square in cross section corresponding approximately to the panel 11 of the initial blank 58. Thus the panel 11 forms the bottom of the container and the panels 12 and their overlying panels 17 secured thereto form the sidewalls of the container, the panels 17' being releasably retained in position against the container sidewalls, as shown in FIG. 1.

To convert the container from a packagedefining disposition (FIG. 1) to an ice-bucket disposition, the band 34 is removed and the panels 17' are unfolded to extended condition, as shown in FIG. 2, to form the container into a generally conical ice-bucket. The panels 17 will have an inherent tendency to expand or unfold about their fold lines so that on removal of band 34, the container will automatically expand partially or fully to icebucket disposition. In the expanded condition of the container, the bottle may be packed in, and surrounded by, ice 36 to chill the contents of the bottle. Thus the package may be brought to the table for consumption and chilled thereat without a conventional ice-bucket or ice container by the simple expediency of removing the band 34 and packing ice into the expanded container with the bottle left in position on panel ill. The package may be of any pleasing or aesthetically attractive appearance and it will be understood that the container formed in the above manner of waterproof material will form a waterproof ice-bucket, the entire container being of one-piece integral and imperforate construction. It is contemplated that the container will be of the single use type although it is within the scope of the present invention to have the container reusable if so desired. The container inherently functions as a protective enclosure for the bottle offering a very high degree of protection by cushioning the bottle to thereby minimize or eliminate certain packing components normally utilized in shipping such as separators and dividers.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that tie invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

I claim:

1. A convertible package, comprising in combination a container and an individual bottle packaged therein in upright disposition, said container being formed of an initially fiat one-piece blank of water impervious relatively still sheet material, said container being convertible from packaging disposition to an expanded ice-bucket disposition and comprising a base wall to accommodate the base of said bottle and a plurality of side walls extending substantially for the height of said bottle, said side walls being disposed in closely adjacent relation with said bottle in said packaging disposition, means releasably retaining said side walls in said closely adjacent relation, said side walls being interconnected by expandable gussets substantially longitudinally coextensive with said side walls, said gussets comprising a plurality of generally triangular panels overlying each other and said side walls in said packaging disposition, said panels being openable on the release of said retaining means to an extended condition with respect to each other and said side walls to define said expanded condition of said container, side walls being outwardly inclined with respect to said base Wall and angularly spaced from said bottle in said expanded condition so that a cooling medium may be received in said angular spacing surrounding said bottle for chilling the contents thereof, and means for holding said side walls in said expanded outwardly inclined condition.

2. A convertible package, comprising in combination a container and an individual bottle packaged therein in upright disposition, said container being formed of an initially flat one-piece blank of water impervious relatively stiif sheet material, said container being convertible from packaging disposition to an expanded ice-bucket disposition and comprising a base wall to accommodate the base of said bottle and a plurality of side walls extending substantially for the height of said bottle, said side walls being disposed in closely adjacent relation with said bottle in said packaging disposition, means releasably retaining said side walls in said closely adjacent relation, said side walls being interconnected by expandable gussets substantially longitudinally coextensive with said side walls, said gussets being openable on the release of said retaining means to an extended condition with respect to each other and said side walls to define said expanded condition of said container, said side walls being outwardly inclined with respect to said base wall and augularly spaced from said bottle in said expanded condition so that ice may be received in said angular opening in completely surrounding relation with said bottle for chilling the contents thereof, and means for holding said side walls in said expanded outwardly inclined condition.

3. A one-piece water impervious container for packaging an individual bottle and convertible into an ice-bucket, said container being releasably retained in packaging disposition and on release therefrom assuming said ice-bucket disposition, said container comprising a central generally square panel to accommodate the base of said bottle, lateral rectangular panels extending from the sides thereof to accommodate the height of said bottle, and intermediate generally triangular panels joining said lateral panels and substantially longitudinally coextensive therewith, said panels being interconnected by score lines, said triangular panels being folded upon themselves and against said lateral panels, at least certain of said triangular panels being secured to said lateral panels and other of said triangular panels being folded into overlying relation in said packaging disposition, said other panels being openable into extended disposition on the unfolding thereof in which said lateral panels are outwardly inclined a predetermined amount with respect to said central panel to define said ice-bucket disposition whereby ice may be packed around a bottle disposed therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,020,878 Bendelari Mar. 19, 1912 1,467,690 Schwarz Sept. 11, 1923 2,643,812 Lange June 30, 1953 2,810,506 Kessler Oct. 22, 1957 3,006,165 Mittelberger Oct. 31, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 46,277 Norway Mar. 18, 1929 1,105,428 France June 29, 1955 

1. A CONVERTIBLE PACKAGE, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A CONTAINER AND AN INDIVIDUAL BOTTLE PACKAGED THEREIN IN UPRIGHT DISPOSITION, SAID CONTAINER BEING FORMED OF AN INITIALLY FLAT ONE-PIECE BLANK OF WATER IMPERVIOUS RELATIVELY STIFF SHEET MATERIAL, SAID CONTAINER BEING CONVERTIBLE FROM PACKAGING DISPOSITION TO AN EXPANDED ICE-BUCKET DISPOSITION AND COMPRISING A BASE WALL TO ACCOMMODATE THE BASE OF SAID BOTTLE AND A PLURALITY OF SIDE WALLS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY FOR THE HEIGHT OF SAID BOTTLE, SAID SIDE WALLS BEING DISPOSED IN CLOSELY ADJACENT RELATION WITH SAID BOTTLE IN SAID PACKAGING DISPOSITION, MEANS RELEASABLY RETAINING SAID SIDE WALLS IN SAID CLOSELY ADJACENT RELATION, SAID SIDE WALLS BEING INTERCONNECTED BY EXPANDABLE GUSSETS SUBSTANTIALLY LONGITUDINALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID SIDE WALLS, SAID GUSSETS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF GENERALLY TRIANGULAR PANELS OVERLYING EACH OTHER AND SAID SIDE WALLS IN SAID PACKAGING DISPOSITION, SAID PANELS BEING OPENABLE ON THE RELEASE OF SAID RETAINING MEANS TO AN EXTENDED CON- 